MA Bloggers Interview Dem Candidate for Gov

Deval Patrick is the progressive democratic reform candidate for governor of Massachusetts. He has been waging a remarkably successful uphill climb against the party front runner, Attorney General Tom Reilly, who has spent years raising money for this campaign. The conventional wisdom had it that Reilly had raised so much money he would be unstoppable and scare off all competition. But Patrick is a different kind of candidate and he is running a different kind of campaign.

Patrick is reportedly raising enough money to be competetive -- but he is also making smart use of the resources he has -- for example by being the first candidate for statwide office to be interviewed by bloggers. Here are a few highlights of the Blue Mass Group accounts by Bob, Charley on the MTA and David from thier recent conference call interview with the candidate.

David: Deval has a convincing and -- dare I say it -- inspiring vision both of why he is in this race and of what he will do if he wins. He is extremely articulate and well-informed on a wide range of issues; he is not afraid to say things that he knows will irk some people and probably even lose him a few votes; and yet he comes across neither as an overbearing know-it-all nor as a politician staking out a position for the sake of staking out a position, but rather as someone who truly believes that government can serve the people of this Commonwealth better than it's been doing for the last bunch of years. I was impressed.... Deval has a vision of his campaign and a message that I think will resonate with a lot of Massachusetts voters -- not just the 'progressives' or the 'liberals' or the 'activists,' but everyone who wants not to hate politics and politicians. He's also plenty charismatic, and plenty smart."

Charley on the MTA: "Why talk to blogs? Like a good writer, Patrick moved from general to specific: He spoke of running 'a different kind of campaign', one that appeals to people's optimism and sense of shared destiny, instead of relying on money and endorsements. People who are turned off by the screaming-heads style of modern politics communicate through alternative means: That means us, and you.... but his speaking style, his optimism, his emerging command of the nuts-and-bolts of policy, and his nice-guy charisma actually remind me of Bill Clinton... Patrick's got the political-romantic thing in abundance -- and he certainly seems capable of grasping all manner of policy particulars. I'm optimistic that we'll see the ambitious rhetoric fleshed out a bit in coming months."

Bob: "The candidate, unique among his rivals, is making respectable use of the internet: he has reached out to the blogosphere, and built a decent website that includes Meetups and an on-line donation form. He promises his own blog in the fall. Reilly's site, by contrast, is a frame-filled hack that flashes a security warning to would-be contributors and offers nothing more than an email form to potential volunteers.

"...Patrick demonstrated the affability, approachability, and results-oriented focus that propelled him to senior positions at the Justice Department, Coke and Texaco, and leading Boston law firms. Whether he will triumph in the clannish, some say thuggish, world of Massachusetts politics remains to be seen."

[UPDATE] .08 Acres and a Donkey also has an interview:

"Patrick seemed to get that the purpose of these blogs was to let people feel they have a stake in a candidacy and that for such things to be useful, communication needed to be two-way. He noted also that he had been criticized in some circles for asking voters' opinions on issues (as if a politician could have too much input from the public) and told me that he wanted 'to accord the voters of MA the respect of asking people for their insight, and their common sense.'"

"I think it's this last point that really draws people to Patrick's candidacy in a way that other politicians can't, or won't. While other candidates may try to pick out the center and hope that's where the votes are, Patrick is actually asking people what's important to them, and taking what he hears into account. Even the very fact that he contacted a number of Massachusetts blogs to talk about issues shows that he's interested in hearing from a variety of people."